Vinh Nhat Lu

The internet and export marketing performance

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the empirical link in export market ventures of the relationship between the internet (when it is used for communication, networking, market research, sales, image enhancement, cost reduction and competitive advantage purposes) and export marketing performance.Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered via a self‐administered mail survey of Australian exporters. The sample consisted of 133 Australian firms coming from a wide cross‐section of industries.Findings – The findings indicate that, when the internet was used to achieve a competitive advantage for the firm and reduce the costs associated in doing international business, these uses of the internet were significant in discriminating between high and low export marketing performance. Furthermore, the international experience of the export ventures management was a significant factor in discriminating between high and low export marketing performance.Research limitations/implications – From a methodological...

Determinants of export success in professional business services: a qualitative study

Despite their crucial contributions to the prosperity of national economies worldwide, there is limited knowledge on the international operations of professional service firms (PSFs). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of export success of PSFs, taking into account both firm characteristics and market characteristics. Research findings indicated that management attitude, resource commitment, and international experience and reputation significantly enhanced their export performance. However, the firms appeared to disagree on the role of firm size in fostering their success. Additionally, the performance of professional service exporters was also determined by competition intensity and actions by the host governments. Finally, export promotion efforts, in the form of export assistance by home government and support from industry-based associations, also played a significant role.

Social shedding: Identification and health of men's sheds users.

OBJECTIVE Extant research has previously found several benefits of community Mens Sheds. Drawing on social identity theory, we examine the extent to which membership in Mens Sheds can influence the quality of life of Mens Sheds users. METHOD We surveyed 322 Mens Sheds users in Australia on 4 quality of life domains and their willingness to take health advice offered at the sheds. RESULTS Social identity was found to be a significant predictor of physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains of quality of life, as well as willingness to accept health advice. CONCLUSIONS Our exploratory findings enrich the existing knowledge on the benefits of community mens groups. We highlight the potential importance of social identity (particularly ingroup ties) among Mens Sheds members. These initial insights may be beneficial for future research and the promotion of mens engagement with health information and practice.

The Internet, Strategy and Performance: A Study of Australian Export Market Ventures

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of the Internet, firm-specific characteristics, market characteristics, and export marketing strategy on export marketing performance. The unit of analysis was an individual product/market export venture. Data were gathered via a self-administered mail survey of 315 Australian firms involved in exporting. The findings indicate that, when the Internet was used for communication purposes and to provide the firm with a competitive advantage, it had a significant impact on export marketing performance. Firm-specific characteristics and export marketing strategy also had a significant impact on export marketing performance.

Developing service climate in local vs. foreign firms in smaller Asian emerging markets: a resource-based and social exchange perspective

Abstract While research on drivers of service climate has focused on organisational resources and human resource practices such as training, employee autonomy and inter-departmental support, how these resources interrelate and influence service climate has not been examined, especially in the context of smaller Asian emerging market. Drawing on the resource-based view and its extension on dynamic capability, and social exchange theory, this qualitative study investigates how local and foreign firms in smaller Asian emerging markets create a favourable service climate. Our findings suggest three inter-related groups of factors that influence service climate, namely firm-based, market-based and culture-based drivers. Notably, foreign service firms perform better than their local counterparts in several firm-based drivers (e.g. service-oriented human resource management practices, work facilitation resources). Our study proposes a conceptual framework that integrates inter-relationships of organisational resource-based factors and explains how internal and external factors drive service climate in firms in smaller Asian emerging markets.

Organizational Drivers of Relationship Trust: An Investigation of Service Exporters

Trust has been extensively researched in the business-to-business relationship marketing literature and is considered a critical factor in fostering optimal relationships between a firm and its business partners. However, research into determinants of inter-organizational trust in an international service setting has been very limited. This study investigates firm-specific drivers of relationship trust between service exporters and their overseas customers. The researcher collected data from 254 service exporters in Australia. Research findings indicate that international experience, management commitment, and resource commitment can significantly influence the level of trust in cross-border relationships between service exporters and their overseas customers. This research enriches both business-to-business relationship marketing and export marketing literature streams and has important implications for international business practitioners.

Engagement in online communities: implications for consumer price perceptions

Modern consumers are engaged in online communities where interaction with paying and non-paying customers impacts their knowledge and perceptions of marketing strategies such as dynamic pricing practice. Given the increased transparency of pricing strategies due to information sharing via online platforms, service providers need to understand the extent to which online communities influence consumer perceptions of price fairness. Drawing from social information processing and social identity theories, we argue that online community engagement is positively related to consumers’ perceptions of the fairness of dynamic pricing strategies, and this relationship is fully mediated by community norms and rule familiarity. We further find the positive effect of community norms on perceived price fairness is stronger among consumers with a higher degree of online savviness.

Building a theoretical framework for e-service export performance

Advancements in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in general, and the internet, in particular, are having a major impact on service marketing. The global marketplace has been increasingly integrated and exporting has emerged as the most popular expansion strategy for international firms. In this context, e-services have emerged as a profitable and competitive industry attracting considerable attention. However, literature has not reached a consensus on how to best categorise e-services and surprisingly, the performance of e-service providers has not been investigated in an exporting context. This study attempts to fill these gaps by proposing a categorisation scheme for e-services and suggesting a conceptual framework about the performance of e-service exporters.

Brave new world: service robots in the frontline

Purpose The service sector is at an inflection point with regard to productivity gains and service industrialization similar to the industrial revolution in manufacturing that started in the eighteenth century. Robotics in combination with rapidly improving technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), mobile, cloud, big data and biometrics will bring opportunities for a wide range of innovations that have the potential to dramatically change service industries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future and to advance a research agenda for service researchers. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a conceptual approach that is rooted in the service, robotics and AI literature. Findings The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it provides a definition of service robots, describes their key attributes, contrasts their features and capabilities with those of frontline employees, and provides an understanding for which types of service tasks robots will dominate and where humans will dominate. Second, this paper examines consumer perceptions, beliefs and behaviors as related to service robots, and advances the service robot acceptance model. Third, it provides an overview of the ethical questions surrounding robot-delivered services at the individual, market and societal level. Practical implications This paper helps service organizations and their management, service robot innovators, programmers and developers, and policymakers better understand the implications of a ubiquitous deployment of service robots. Originality/value This is the first conceptual paper that systematically examines key dimensions of robot-delivered frontline service and explores how these will differ in the future.

Can Country Image Protect Firms Facing a PR Crisis

The world is now an international marketplace, with organisations trading in diverse geographical locations. However, the links between organisations and their home countries often remain strong in the minds of consumers (Phau and Prendergast 2000). Indeed, international managers often work to strengthen and gain leverage from these associations, for example Alfa Romeo with Italy or Dior with France. Alternatively others will seek to diminish them when country of origin (COO) associations are likely be negative (Chao 1989; Chao 2001).